Self Awareness
Iris Murdoch: “Unselfing”
To see things as it is, without “fat relentless ego” with that self-referral lens (e.g. “what does this mean for me?”, “how does this serve my goals”?)
Visiting home this time round has been revelatory.
Looking at the piled up books that I’ve never read, I just found out that actually, my interests haven’t changed much: proses about creativity & art, architecture…things that I thought I should be reading about, are actually things that I genuinely connect with since... See more
Harrietsubstack.comBuddhist Concept of Papancha (preponderance of thoughts)
You can overcome insecurities by labelling them, and then moving forward.
[Takeaway: p.79 Make it up - “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin]
Be aware of the subliminal rules that underlies our actions, which can undermine our work - including cultural osmosis and childhood influence.
[ Takeaway: p.97, Rules - The Creative Act: Rick Robin ]
The default mode network (DMN) tends to activate when we’re not fully engaged in the present moment. The DMN is a collection of interconnected brain regions that drift through memories, simulate possible futures, and maintain our ongoing sense of self. This allows us to plan, imagine, and reflect, but it also pulls us out of direct experience. In... See more
yana yuhai • how to find magic in the ordinary (the neuroscience of whimsy)
DMN is activated by default, when we’re not putting attention into the front of our minds - i.e. the state of drifting.
Rather than asking for forgiveness, I see being aware of your own shortcomings as opportunities. Even though it’s easier said than done, just so you know that (1) This “state” of mediocrity is just in passing, not permanent (2) And that it won’t change until you put in the actions.
Self... See more
Harrietsubstack.combeauty as a discipline: on attention, care and what really matters
youtube.comYou understand that originality is rarely loud but it’s often the result of someone being in conversation with their own fascinations for a very long time. It’s like finding back your old diary and reconnecting with the thoughts and feelings you used to have, but looking at it from a different, more matured perspective.
The Courage to Like What You Like
There’s right or wrong way to introspect - looking inwards, to me, has always been empowering because that much I can control. It’s the active awareness - be it positive or negative.
Looking outwards, on the other hand, is more passive because most of the times, reactions and actions are automatic since they have been engrained as part of our core values.